Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The exotic spectrum of Rajasthan's handicraft heritage is a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors and textures. The depth, range and inspirational intricacy of this heritage stems from its socio-economic ethos, with whole village pursuing certain crafts, which are intrinsic to their survival or daily needs. Royal patronage gave it a vital impetus to carry the journey for centuries. Although Rajasthan is full of visual spectacles, perhaps the most lasting impression that visitors take away with them after traveling through this state is that of color. Despite the perpetual desolation of the sandscape enveloping the courtyards of Rajasthan, color reaches newer heights of luminosity and vividness at every pocket of the state. Canary yellows, emarald greens, vivid purples, electric blues and splashes of brilliant reds seem to be reinventions of traditional colors.
Fun With The Fabric - Famous Artifacts

Rajasthan is famous for its vibrantly colored textiles which adorn the sophisticated boutiques and prismatic art and craft bazaars across the state. The basic cloth receives one or several of various treatments to achieve its rich blaze of color, including dyeing, block printing and multiple forms of embroidery and applique. Visit Jodhpur to encounter the most intricate and interesting result of garment designing, the bandhani or tie and dye style of coloring. Basically parts of the fabric are knotted with minikin pebbles or grams, so that when the fabric is dyed, the knotted section retain their original color. Buy yourself a bright colored odhni (headscarf) featuring a lotus motif against a white or pink background. Remember, a yellow background indicates that the wearer has recently given birth to a bambino. Shift the gears of your car to reach Sanganer, near Jaipur, famous for its block printed fabric. Other handicraft items include the Sanganeri prints, generally featuring floral motifs, are exported round the world and is truly a collector's delight. Everyday, thousands of meters of fabric can be seen drying in long swathes on the banks of Saraswati river. Do you know that Sanganer entertains true hand-craftsmanship; garments are printed with wooden blocks known as buntis or chhapas, on which incisions form the elemental design, by one's own hand. The fruits of endeavor can be found in the form of colorful zig-zag motifs, featuring geometric designs in blue and red on both sides, known as ajrakh and is generally worn by men as shawls and turbans. Travel to Rajasthan to get one ajrakh for your loved ones, won't you?